To Keeper League or Not to Keeper League – A Conversation Through Texting

Matt: Dave, I know that I agreed to having a keeper league this year but I’m beginning to regret it.

M: I think it’s a problem that is difficult to fix.

M: Probably impossible.😓

M: Irrevocable damage at least… A lot of counseling will be needed.😲

Dave: Ok, wow. What just happened?

M: Sorry you weren’t answering right away and I had to entertain myself somehow.😇

D: Well I’m here now. 

D: You don’t like the keeper concept!? But it’s so fun! A whole new dynamic!

M: It’s about as dynamic as an auction with Ben Stein as the auctionier.

D: …

M: It ruins the draft! We have a snake draft in our league right? Everyone wants the 12th spot so they can keep their number one guy and get the first pick of the second round. 

D: That is balanced out because the worst team in our league has the first pick at where they wanted to draft. So the 12th spot should get taken early.

M: True, but what type dynamic is that? Everyone is trying to implement the same strategy?

D: First round ADP players/keepers are not guaranteed to be awesome – Todd Gurley, Dez Bryant, Jamaal Charles are all examples of guys with high ADPs recently that performed much lower than projected. 

D: So even a first round keeper with an early second round pick is no guarantee of a winning season.

M: It still seems to tip the odds in that person’s favor.

D: Yes, and that, to a certain extent, is the purpose of a keeper league dummy. 😝 It is made so that it doesn’t all come down to the draft. You can choose a player off your team, of your liking, and have a little safety net knowing at least you get “this” or “that” player. 

D: And before the draft you will know who is also keeping or not keeping players, which adds a little more pedictability to the draft.

D: Not a bad thing in my opinion.

M: Wow watch the name calling! You’re one momma joke from me disowning you as a friend… Forever…

D: Wait, when were we ever friends?😄

M: …ok that hurt turd face. Ya I said it!😏

M: so what about the team who doesn’t have a keeper-player worth giving up a first round draft pick for? They are left picking up the scraps in the first round and getting a second rounder?

D: one way to make that fair is to not limit a keeper league to just the first round. You can keep a second round – ninth round ADP player for instance, but you lose that round’s pick accordingly.

D: So if I declared I’m keeping Ezekiel Elliot and his ADP is in the third round, then I don’t get to “draft” in that round. I just get my keeper.

M: That’s nice! Not! So some guys are going to keep a first round ADP and I’m going to keep a third round ADP. Um… Sir… Excuse me… There appears to be some bull crap on your shirt.

D: Oh gosh how did that get there. Let me… Just… Ok it’s gone. 

D: Again a first round ADP is no guarantee and you are still sacrificing a pick.

M: Ya but think about the amount of “tiers” there are between 1st and 3rd round players.

D: True. One thing to make it more fair is to not allow any first round ADPs to be kept. That way everyone has a shot at the top tier guys while keeping some higher – mid tier guys could be converted to keepers.

D: Well depending on your drafting spot that is.

M: Ok… Well that’s dumb because… I… You are… No, that is actually a pretty good idea and I think that is pretty fair.

M: But if I tank this year I’m blaming it on the keeper league.

D: oh, really? You usually just own up to being a poor fantasy football manager. 😉

M: We aren’t friends any more.